Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

How to understand next week’s Trump criminal felony trial

Robert Reich Roberts Substack Robert Reich’s update on the upcoming criminal trial on election interference. ~~~~~~~~ Trump wants you to think that all he did was try to cover up a sexual affair. Wrong. Trump’s first criminal trial, the first criminal trial of a former president, ever — is scheduled to begin Monday. The 34-count […]

Manipulating Supply Chains and Manufacturing, for Corporate Influence and Profit

The one thing we keep on seeing is the manipulation of supply chain by circumstance to achive manufacturing shortfall, and influence to maximize profits. Much of what we have and are experiencing was avoidable. The tools exist to give better perspectives of what is going on from start to finish of product. As you read […]

March consumer price inflation was still mainly about the dynamics of shelter and gas prices

 – by New Deal democrat The Bonddad Blog New Deal democrat has been on top of the discussions of shelter and/or gasoline prices in February and also in January. He has been on top of these discussions which appear to be making the news moreso in April than earlier in the year. I have linked […]

Open Thread, April 12 2024 Inflation Increases – Look to Gasoline and Shelter

Consumer Price Index – March 2024 (bls.gov) “The BLS index for shelter rose in March, as did the index for gasoline. Combined, these two indexescontributed over half of the monthly increase in the index for all items. The energy index rose 1.1percent over the month. The food index rose 0.1 percent in March. The food […]

2024 Life and Death Game Theory Interlude: Voting is An Affirmative Action

If You Choose Not to Decide, You May be an American Restating the premise of my earlier post: Voting is an affirmative action. The more difficult voting is, the more turnout will be reduced. A voter in Oregon needs only to fill out and mail a ballot at any point over a period of time […]

March CPI: Should We Be Worried?

by Dean Baker Center for Economic and Policy Research The inflation hawks took March’s CPI as cause for celebration, inflation may not be dead yet. There is no doubt that it was a disappointing report for those hoping we could put the pandemic inflation behind us. However, there still is not much basis for thinking […]

TSMC to begin Pilot Production Operations by mid-April 2024

More semiconductor news. Leading off, TSMC plant delays in Arizona are disappearing. In spite of earlier delays, the Arizona TSMC plant is now expected to be operational by end of 2024. Pilot Production to prove the manufacturing process will start mid-April 2024. Three months earlier, TSMC announced further delays at its $40 billion Arizona fab. […]

The right-wing scammers who paved the way for Trump

by Zach Beauchamp Vox via RSN.Org. As presented by Dale Coberly . . . A conversation between Vox’s Zach Beauchamp and Joe Conason a veteran New York journalist. The topic? Trump’s grifting. A new book shows how conservative grift started long before branded bibles and $400 sneakers. During his time atop the Republican Party, Trump’s lifetime […]